I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I’ve been on the waiting list for surgery for two years, but what can I do now to ease the pain?
Physiotherapy exercises can really help with carpal tunnel syndrome – a painful condition of the wrist.
The carpal tunnel is a tight band of connective tissue, through which nerves travel.
Nerves are responsible for controlling all movements and sensations, including pain, temperature and touch. But if they become damaged or are under pressure, they don’t function properly.
For some people, the carpal tunnel can tighten, squashing the nerves inside, causing pain. It can also cause numb hands, tingling or pins and needles in certain fingers, as well as difficulty maintaining a tight grip.
For many, these symptoms get worse at night.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often triggered by repetitive wrist movement – for example, typing on a computer keyboard.
It can also be brought on by using vibrating tools, such as jackhammers and drills, as well as playing musical instruments.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often triggered by repetitive wrist movement such as typing on a computer keyboard as well as using vibrating tools or playing musical instruments
The condition is more common in pregnancy, menopause and among diabetes patients. But often there is no clear cause.
In severe cases, surgery is an option. This involves making a small cut to the tunnel, to take pressure off the nerve. It’s a very fast operation that is done within an hour, usually as a day case.
For others, the condition can resolve itself.
Regardless of whether a patient is due to undergo surgery, they will usually be advised to wear a wrist splint. This is to keep the wrist straight – to stop the carpal tunnel bending and putting further pressure on the nerve.
Some people find that just wearing a splint – which can be purchased at most pharmacies –for about six weeks is enough to resolve the problem.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists also highly recommends a series of daily hand exercises that can help ease the suffering of carpal tunnel.
These can be found online at: csp.org.uk/public-patient/rehabilitation-exercises/carpal-tunnel-syndrome.
Anyone with carpal tunnel will benefit from these, whether or not they plan to have surgery.
My daughter, who is 32, can’t take ibuprofen or paracetamol painkillers as she is allergic to them, but she has recently been getting terrible abdominal pains during her period. What can she take instead?
It is possible to have an allergic reaction to these common painkillers, but it’s very rare. But being allergic to both of them is even rarer.
An allergy specialist can run tests to find out whether or not it really is safe for a patient to take these medicines.
If someone is unable to take ibuprofen and paracetamol, then there are other options.
Codeine-based painkillers, for example, can be very effective. However, these should not be overused as codeine is addictive. There are non-pharmaceutical pain relief treatments available, such as heat pads or a TENS machine, which uses small electrical currents to block pain signals in the body.
Any woman who experiences severe abdominal pain every month with their period should speak to their GP about the possibility of endometriosis. This is a painful chronic condition in which uterus tissue grows outside the womb, and can cause agonising flare-ups, particularly during periods.
The condition can be effectively treated using the contraceptive pill and – if necessary – surgery.
I am 66 and have suddenly started excessively sweating. I’ve never had this issue before, even during the menopause. What could be the cause?
Anybody who experiences new, excessive sweating should see their GP as soon as possible. This is because, in rare cases, it can be a sign of blood cancer.
A GP can assess anyone with this issue to see if they need to be urgently referred to hospital for further checks.
The most common cause of excessive sweating is the menopause – the midlife hormonal changes that all women go through.
But not all women experience sweating during the menopause, and others develop it many years after they have gone through the menopause.
Excessive sweating can also be triggered by thyroid disease, when the butterfly-shaped gland in the neck fails to function properly. Sweating can also be a sign of an infection, particularly tuberculosis, or TB.
A GP can run blood tests and order a chest X-ray to look for such an infection.
If no cause is found, then doctors may prescribe a special antiperspirant called Dryclor, which is applied to sweating areas of the skin at night and usually works for 24 hours.
It’s not flu… or a cold… so did you find a cure?
I see patients with a chronic runny nose in my clinic all the time and when there is no clear trigger it can be hard to beat, writes Dr Ellie Cannon
It’s that time of year again when it seems that everyone has a runny nose. For many, this will be due to a winter bug, such as a cold or the flu. However, for others it may have no obvious cause and can last for months, and sometimes years.
In fact, I see patients with a chronic runny nose in my clinic all the time, and when there is no clear trigger it can be hard to beat. However, I believe many of them are suffering from a condition called rhinosinusitis.
It occurs when the lining of the nose and sinuses remains inflamed for long periods. It can be set off by an infection, as well as allergies. In some cases it can be due to nasal polyps – soft, painless growths in the lining of the nose.
There are a growing number of drugs, usually injections, that can shrink these polyps, easing the symptoms. However, patients need to get diagnosed first.
Have you suffered with a chronic runny nose? Did you find any relief? Please write in using the email address below and let me know.
Tell me your care fee nightmares
I was pleased to read, in last week’s Wealth section, a brilliant article detailing how to get the NHS to pay for a relative’s care fees.
It’s a massively important topic, given the eye-watering costs of long-term social care.
And it’s one that comes up time and time again in my surgery. Known as NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), it is notoriously difficult to access, and families are almost always denied funding on their first attempt. Moreover, CHC is only available to those with a confirmed dementia diagnosis, and about a third of dementia sufferers never get one of these. In my view, it’s a scandal that the NHS makes it so difficult to access this crucial funding – and the system needs urgent reform.
Have you struggled with CHC? Did you find a way to get the funding in the end? I’d like to hear from you. Please use the email address on the right.
